Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Yeti- Gross! I made the mistake of adding some tap water to a overproof pour and the chlorine/softening kinda killed it.
mrbroo- Free drinks and free advice are awesome and usually lead to good conversation!

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Sometimes it goes in your favor. I ordered a Maker's on the rocks at a newish venue about 10 years ago. The guy filled a huge plastic cup (at least 16 oz) halfway with ice and then poured the bourbon so the cup was brimming over. He charged me $6 and I had a good night.

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

back in my very early 20s i was working as a waiter. i knew vrap about any kind of alcohol. a couple came in and ordered a bottle of wine. so, i got the bottle, and brought it to them, and walked off. my friend who was training me, was laughing when i came back to the servers station. he asked me how they were going to get the cork out of the bottle, and what they were going to pour it into.

everyone has to start learning from some new point.

you were at a chain restaurant, give him a break. he is new, its a chain, and you ordered something unusual for such a place. kindly offer some small advice, and leave it at that.

at 35, i couldnt have told you what 'neat' was. i knew nothing of bourbon until about 36

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Kinda off topic but still related-ish. Was at a bar lastnight and the bartender was pouring my whiskey into a measure before my glass. Which is normal yeh? Except everytime she poured into the measure she would stop just before it was full stopping it from spilling over, so yeh its onky 3-5ml or whatever but i like that little bit extra, it makes you feel like you are getting a better dealel. After the second whiskey I went to the other bartender, this Bryan Brown looking mofo, and he was free pouring two at a time, much happier!

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Last night I was at a restaurant and ordered a Bulleit with 2 cubes. The bartender looked at me with a blank face so I repeated the order. She then told me she didnt know what Bulleit was. I had to explain it was the flat looking bottle with the orange label. I think I was nice about it, but it is frustrating when they dont know what they have behind the bar. I will also chalk it up to it being a wing restaurant and a young pretty staff.

On the positive, they were selling a decent pour for $3 during happy hour.

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Having worked in a chain restaurant like the one mentioned - the "bartender" is usually very inexperienced because it's often a waiter, or waitress, drafted into duty with no training. And to be fair most of what they serve are beers and simple glasses of wine. They probably don't serve many things in a snifter - I doubt too many people order VSOP or a nice Armagnac. I recently attended a wedding at a Portuguese Society venue and the bartender couldn't have been nicer or more clueless. But they had some quite tasty bourbon behind the counter and her pours were almost criminally large (I think the first drink was almost four fingers for $3). I simply guided her to the correct bottle since she had zero familiarity with the brands I was asking for. I gave her generous tips and had my wife drive us home. And while she was clueless about bourbon she made amazingly good espresso. Really good. For $1.25 a serving. She could have taught the barrista's at most coffee shops a thing or two. Just remember at the end of the day - you are having a bourbon and that's not so bad.

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

On the opposite side of the prospective a few of us had a get together there in Iowa City / Coralville IA. We went out to dinner had to wait on a table went to the bar ordered a Blanton's neat. Young barmaid brought me a nicely poured Blanton's in a glencairn no ice. She got a nice tip. Every once in a while my fellow Iowans makes me proud.

Last edited by p_elliott; 10-21-2013 at 06:59.

Normal is an illusion. What is normal to the spider, is chaos for the fly.

Re: Clueless (young) bartender...

Here's a 'BEAUT' for anyone who ever orders drinx from a restaurant or bar....
I was in San Diego a couple of years ago and we stopped for lunch at a "50's" Burger Bar on Coronado Island. I looked over the poor selection of Bourbons and settled for this; "A Maker's Mark neat, with water by". After a brief exchange wherein I explained what 'neat' was, and what 'water by' meant; I received my drink done correctly; then, when the bill, came I was astounded to see the minimum drink price charged for my 'water by' ($4.00). (The MM was $6.50) Talk about disgusted! I could've had all the water I wanted if I ordered it from the waitress for FREE (poured by the bartender, in the same glass!); but if I ordered it as part of my drink it cost $4.... JEEEEEEEZ! You can bet I'll never eat/drink there again, nor will I recommend it to anyone.